You’ve got the basic repertoire down and are ready to embellish. You learned how to wield your muddler making mojitos in Level 1, so now try buying fresh fruit and muddling it into your favorite spirit. This level adds a few unexpected crowd pleasers: a kir royale champagne cocktail, a homemade Bloody Mary, a Negroni, a Sidecar. We’ve also included recipes for some simple homemade bar snacks. And a few tools you don’t need but will find plenty of use for. How did you live this long without fancy ice tongs?

Rich Simple Syrup, a solution of sugar and water, is common in professional bars—it mixes right into cold drinks, eliminating those annoying undissolved sugar particles. (You should be able to find it in specialty groceries if you don’t feel like turning on the stove.)